The brown wolf was galloping at a place never seen by the beast's eyes before. The Valley of Trials was a place that only the tired Orc knew well. Seis was anxious to see the place where he made his first steps as a hunter, one more time. He needed to relax a little before he would join the Horde ranks in the recently discovered lands of Outland. His time in Durotar would offer him this relaxation, he hoped.

A rather clumsy ligtning bolt passed in front of his mount's head and struck an unsuspected boar right next to his riding path. The wolf that Seis was riding, turned immediately towards the source of this "friendly fire". It was a Troll Shaman that did this and at that moment he was trying to turn to a ghost wolf himself in order to run away from his trouble.

Seis: You don't need to run shammie! You just need to look around you before you act like Zeus, or whatever you want to be. What's your name?

Shaman: It be Yukio mon. I'm sorry for da mess. Me be lookin around next time.

Seis: Don't you trolls ever learn to speak normally? What are you doing here in the wilderness?

Yukio: I can speak "normally" Orc. I didn't catch your name though. Are you by any chance going to the Valley of Trials? I could use a lift.

Seis: The name is Seis. If my mount let's you get closer and won't bite your skinny butt, i'll give you a lift.

The place looked like it came from another planet. The portal behind Yukio had closed the gap that his body had opened, covering up the wierd scenery to anyone from "the other side".

Hellfire Peninsula... a new world for the curious Shaman was unfolding. Yukio has made his first steps in Azeroth and made quick progress, mostly thanks to his Orc Hunter friend, Seis. "Where would the ugly fat Orc be?" Yukio wondered...

High above the Horde's initial outpost in Outland, Thrallmar, many guards were patrolling with their flying mounts. They were having some unexpected help today. A Netherdrake has joined their patrol path and from time to time was making a short trip to the Dark Portal and back, as if the Hunter that was mounted on it, was lookig for something...

Seis was tracking for metal on his way to the Dark Portal, when he got a glimpse of a familiar figure. "Oh crap! The Troll noob is here already?", Seis thought. He made a right-side dive to get closer and check."Those Fel Boars hit really hard here" Yukio was thinking, while he was trying to skin this wierd leather out of the dead beast's corpse. He had to wait for a couple of minutes till he would be fully healed after this fight. Enhancement is an exciting Shaman spec, but it sure sucks when it's healing time.

Yukio was really happy when he joined with a healer and did a couple of quests in the Searing Gorge a week before. He admired his fellow Troll Shaman for his healing ability and Souldancer, that is his name, was enjoying his company, a lot. Their paths had to differ after a while and Yukio entered Outland, in search of Thrallmar and his friend Seis.

The Orc Hunter had made already three rounds above Yukio, without the Troll to realize anything. Seis was smiling when he made a last direct dive towards the unsuspected Shaman's exposed back side ... (to be continued)

(OOC: The use of Souldancer's name is fictional and only serves as an invitation to him to participate if he likes.)

Many months have passed since the two friends, Seis and Yukio, met each other in Hellfire. The Orc hunter has helped his Troll friend find his way in Outland, more or less the same way as he did in Azeroth.

Yukio was learning fast. He was level 70 himself now and slowly he realizedthat Seis was always a great friend, but not a mentor anymore. During theirlast skirmishes in Shadowmoon Valley, there were times that Yukio was able not only to make clear kills by himself, but sometimes he would assist Seis and Ariba (his pet) to kill their mob too.

The Troll Shaman was finally very happy to "pay back" his old friend for all those years of training and unselfish offers that the Orc has given to him. Seis was treating him like an equal now and that was really great.

... The rising sun quickly added his heat to Shadowmoon Village and Yukio woke up immediately as always. Seis was soon to follow. He didn't have to be on alert, cause Ariba was guarding them all through the night. The brown tiger could be recognized easily by its broken tooth. A loyal companion for more than 2 years was able to hide in shadows and strike fast, if it was necessary.

Seis: Huumm, good morning Yukio buddy. How did you sleep tonight?Yukio: Can't complain matey. It's only the heat that troubles me.Seis: You'll get used to it, no worries. Especially today, you’re gonnahave to bear some more heat. It’s time we went to the Deathforge again.Yukio: Crap mon! It be already hellish in there. Why we be getting back in da hellhole?Seis: Relax boy! Every time you get excited, you sound like Ziggy Marley.Yukio: Who’s he?Seis: Never mind, we need to get back there. Scout Zagran wants us to kill Warbringer Razuun, recover Razuun's Orders, and report to Blood Guard Gulmok back here at Shadowmoon Village.Yukio: It sounds like a quest to me.Seis: It IS a quest you noob. Sheesh, sometimes you sound like level 1 for Thrall’s sake.Yukio: Ok, ok. I got it. This time, you’re going to use your wolf mount though. No flying around, making air strikes on my poor butt, ok?Seis: Yukio, this is serious business we’re having here. There is no room for jokes. Those mobs in Deathforge can be very dangerous. There is no way I’ll let you ride in there alone.

Deep down in the Deathforge, the two friends have made theiradvance nicely. The first cave in the forge’s lower level was already clearedof mobs. Yukio, Seis and Ariba were a good team when it was fighting time. The fierce tiger was making the opener to the first target. Yukio was firing a lightning bolt to a second one, who shortly after was falling to trap that Seis has laid for him. All three of them were killing Ariba’s target fast and then turned to the trapped one. Should there were a third, Yukio was keeping him busy, while Seis was killing Ariba’s target, retrap the second and focus on Yukio’s mob after.

There were times that Seis was feigning dead to be released of immediate threat. He would then jump back up and continue firing his deadly arrows. After each fight, Yukio was healing all three of them. The troll’s healing spells were weak to be used in combat, but good enough to help everyonerecover, after the enemies were down.

They kept going like this, passing a large bridge and reaching the lab room they visited once more, a few days ago. In their previous visit, they had fought fiercely in there with a big number of deathforge smiths and tinkerers. Those mobs would normally pose no big threat, should they becoming one by one. The problem was that there was not enough room for Seis to gain some distance between him the mobs. He was forced to use all of his abilities, including explosive traps, melee combat, feign death and still, there were times that the Orc Hunter would be overwhelmed, if Yukio wasn’t there to help.

Carefully, they began their approach. The first part of the lab was quickly cleared, making the two friends feel that things would be easier this time… (to be continued...)

Seis: I can track another group behind the left corner. Can you see them?Yukio: Yeap. A smith and a tinkerer close by. Looks like the little one will come too.Seis: Ok, the usual stuff. Ariba go!

The deadly feline charged the smith behind the corner, while Yukio’s lightning bolt landed on the tinkerer, drawing him towards Seis’s trap as always. The hunter moved a little to the right, so that he would start firing at the smith behind the corner.

Seis looked towards Yukio. His shaman friend was safe with the tinkerer safely trapped. Yukio was supposed to attack the smith together with Ariba now…Yukio stood still!

Seis: Move it Yuki! We need to kill him fast.Yukio: The smith called for help! Heal Ariba now… and start shooting!

…The troll ran behind the corner. Seis moved right and saw what was behind the corner. Yukio and Ariba were actually fighting 3 more tinkerers that came to help the smith…

The hunter immediately realized that they had a serious problem. He healed Ariba and laid another trap to neutralize the tinkerer behind him…

Yukio laid the final blow to the smith, who fell flat on the floor. Ariba turned to one of the three tinkerers. The other two were hitting Yukio. The troll knew that he had to deal with them alone for a while. His Orc friend would focus on his pet’s target first…

…at the time Seis started shooting at Ariba’s tinkerer, he heard a very pleasant sound of his trap capturing the enemy behind him. Hepopped another healing spell to his pet and continued firing…

…Yukio was beaten badly by the two goblins. He barely managed to drop a mana totem. His Stormstrike ability brought his target close to death. His daggers did a good job so far. If only he could live long enough, to give Ariba the chance to attack one of his aggressors. He would then have tofight a single goblin for a while…

The brave tiger was exhausted. Inspired by the love it felt for Seis and the fierce instincts that made Ariba what it was till then, it has gone to a frenzy state. The damage caused by his sharp teeth was great, but thetiger had taken a lot of beating…

Yukio: Ariba needs healing! I can’t do it…Seis: I’m almost out of mana here!!! I can’t either…

(Ariba falls dead, making a last painfull growl)

Seis: NOOOOOOO! YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS YOU SCUMBAGS!!! YUKIO, COVER UP! INCOMING MULTI-SHOT!Yukio: NO SEIS! THERE IS A DORMANT ELEMENTAL CLOSE B…

The rain of arrows killed one of the goblins instantly. The second one, with light wounds only, was greatly damaged, but kept beating Yukio. A third arrow woke up a very angry elemental that immediately ran towards Seis.

Seis: Oh crap! Incoming elemental… (The first goblin was released from the hunter’s trap and attacked Seis as well)… YUKIO! I HAVE NO MANA LEFT!Yukio: HOLD ON! BE RIGHT THERE! FEIGN DEAD!Seis: I CAN’T YOU MORON! I HAVE NO MANA! HEAL MEE!Yukio: I CAN’T! YOU WOKE IT, YOU TANK IT!

The troll shaman dropped his last target three seconds later. He turned immediately to help his friend… Seis was overwhelmed. He managed to drop the last goblin, but the elemental had already damaged him greatly. By the time Yukio reached him and started a healing spell, the orc was nearly dead…

Yukio: HOLD ON A LITTLE LONGER BUDDY! HEALING IN 3 SECONDS!Seis: I don’t have three second… ARGHHHH!Yukio: NOOOO!

The healing spell was cancelled. Seis dropped flat on the floor, releasing a snake trap and his last breath with it. The elemental dropped a few seconds later, by Yukio’s daggers and countless snake bites.

The lab room was silent for the first time. The shaman sat down, close to his friend’s corpse and looked at the mess. They fought bravely, but only him was left alive.(to be continued)

Yukio was an enhancement shaman, but still a shaman and so he was able to resurrect people. It was an ability he liked a lot. It may be the damage that he caused to enemies, the thing that liked the most, but bringing people back from the dead, was magical to him. He did this spell only a handful of times. Seis was able to feign dead and save himself and Ariba was rezzed by Seis himself. Actually, Yukio had never used this spell since he joined the Orc hunter and his pet. This would be the first time…

Yukio replenished is mana as fast as he could. The resurrection spell was very demanding and also, time was against him. Soon the cave would be full of enemies again. He brought back Seis and the hunter did the same to Ariba shortly after…

Seis: Thanks buddy, I feel very weak. Here boy, eat this fish. You’ll feel better. (Ariba snatched the dead fish and started eating it)Yukio: I’m glad I can do this stuff Seis. Otherwise, we would be in deep mess. Death may be not permanent, but still it hurts me when I loose people I like.Seis: Remember the first time you rezzed someone? How did you feel?Yukio: Oh man, it was great! I felt like a god… But the hard part was keeping others alive, so that I won’t have to rez them all the time.Seis: True, but you need to be a healer for that. Never mind, we’ll talk about it later. Now, open this door here with the key I gave you earlier. You don’t want to be here when all these clowns respawn on your shamanistic behinds, do you???

Yukio did as the orc said and the group, recovered from the fierce fight that took place just a few minutes ago, went down the dark slope that lead to their objective… Warbringer Razuun.